Battle off Orleans, 26/1

Red Squadron:
Admiral Collister - HMS Guardian, 'Postillionen' Frigate
Captain Skyforger - Harbringer, 'Postillionen' Frigate
Lieutenant Foster - White Rose, 'Bermuda' Sloop

Rendevous off Orleans. Admiral Collister and Lieutenant Foster succeded in engaging and taking four pirate frigates. A Spanish convoy of six sail was spotted and the squadron, excluding the en-route Captain Skyforger, moved to engage.

Upon closer inspection, the convoy consisted of four Spanish trading vessels and two escort vessels. The enemy were successfully drawn into battle just off the coast south of Orleans, sailing close formation, 3 ships abreast and two ships long. The Guardian, with the White Rose a cable's length to her stern, sailed with the wind and tried to draw away one of the traders.

Unfortunately, after dealing a great amount of damage to the flute, Admiral Collister was forced to withdraw after taking heavy fire from the enemy convoy. Admiral Collister led Lieutenant Foster through narrow shoals, sailing beam reach into a cave, after tacking, the Guardian reefed all sail and stood to for repairs on the go. Meanwhile the enemy convoy approached through the same shoals, but, the shoals only being wide enough as to allow two ships at a time to pass through, four of the enemy sail were forced to wear to avoid the coastline.

A flute and delivarence frigate entered the mouth of the cave, and as the enemy approached, running into the wind, Admiral Collister and Lieutenant Foster raked the flute forcing her to strike her colours. The deliverance had the time and foresight needed to bring her starboard battery towards the squadron. However, after a brief battle, involving several precise turns right next to the rocky outcroppings of the cave, she too was forced to strike her colours.

At this point in the battle, the Harbringer was sighted coming in from the south. The enemy convoy attempted once again to enter the mouth of the cave, but this time, due to a particularly poor maneuver from one of their flutes, only one defiant frigate entered the cave. After bringing down fire over her bow on her way in, she was outmanevered by our faster vessels and forced to strike her colours.

The Harbringer entered the cave from the other entrance and rendevouzed with our squadron. All our vessels then moved out and succeded in taking the remaining enemy trade vessels one by one. Lieutenant Foster served as a support ship as Admiral Collister and Captain Skyforger alternated between holding the enemy in position and raking her over the stern.

Lieutenant Foster showed great courage in both piloting his sloop throiugh the narrows and engaging ships much out of his class. My best regards to the crew of his vessel, and indeed also to the crew of the Harbringer, whose captain, Chuwy Skyforger, displayed excellent execution of the hold-rake tactic.

All in all, an excellent action, and one that will hopefully soon be illustrated with some pictures from the battle.

It was a great battle indeed sir!